Entertainment
2 Dead, 11 Injured After Mom Plows Truck Through Youth Soccer Game in Kansas
Kansas Youth Soccer Game
Mom Drives Onto Field, Killing 2 & Injuring 11
Published
A 6-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man were killed Saturday after a truck drove onto a soccer field during a youth game in Wichita, Kansas.
The horrifying incident unfolded at the Stryker Sports Complex around 3:25 PM, when police began receiving 911 calls about a vehicle driving through the game.
Authorities say the two victims — both from McPherson, Kansas and unrelated to one another — were pronounced dead at the scene.
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Eleven additional people were taken to area hospitals, including five children between the ages of 5 and 9.
Police say the victims suffered traumatic injuries ranging from bruises to extremely serious injuries, though officials believe none of the injuries were life-threatening.
The driver was identified as a 34-year-old woman from Garden City, Kansas. She remained at the scene and was taken into custody. Police say she was cooperating with investigators, and two juveniles were inside the truck when it entered the field.
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Authorities have not determined whether the crash was intentional or accidental. Police Capt. Aaron Moses said investigators are still trying to figure out “how this happened and why it happened.”
Police say the woman may have had a child playing at the sports complex Saturday, although the child was not on the field where the incident occurred.
Bystanders reportedly rushed to help the injured before first responders arrived. Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan praised the community members who provided medical aid at the scene.
Kansas Youth Soccer issued a statement on the “devastating” event — and the city canceled all events at the complex until further notice and asked anyone with photos or video of the incident to submit them to investigators.
Wichita Mayor Lily Wu called the tragedy “heartbreaking,” saying families had gathered to watch their children play and never could have imagined what happened.